This collection contains the papers of historian and genealogist Penelope Johnson Allen, from the 1770s to the 1980s, primarily the 20th century. The four series here include: I. Personal Papers, with correspondence, certificates, and other material belonging to Mrs. Allen; II. Research Material, with maps, melungeons, and Cherokee information; III. Genealogical Research Material, with correspondence and legal documents from the 1770s and 1880s, as well as several different families' histories; IV. Publications, with newspapers, pages from Allen's book Leaves of the Family Tree, and the 1904 plat book of Chattanooga, Tenn.

See also, MS.2033: Penelope Allen Collection, 1801-1984.